GEORGE NEWS - While some social media users have questioned whether an incident involving a FlySafair flight at George Airport on Saturday morning 19 September was as serious as initially portrayed, one passenger says that from inside the aircraft, it certainly felt serious.
Francine de Beer was a passenger on the FlySafair Boeing 737 that experienced an apparent flap deployment problem before landing safely at George Airport.
“I was actually a passenger on this flight – and let me tell you, it was tense!” she told George Herald.
“Maybe, from the outside, it wasn’t as serious as it looked, but for those of us sitting on the plane, it definitely felt serious.”
According to De Beer, the flight was scheduled to land at 08:50, but the aircraft circled while the pilots dealt with the problem. She said passengers were aware that something was amiss and that emergency personnel and fire trucks were on standby at the airport.
Despite the uncertainty, she praised the way the situation was handled on board.
“The pilots handled the situation exceptionally well - calm, professional and in complete control. Their skill and professionalism certainly helped reassure us.”
The aircraft eventually landed safely at about 09:25.
“After a few very tense moments, we landed safely,” De Beer said. “Huge respect to the pilots, crew and emergency teams. Definitely an experience I won’t forget anytime soon!”
The incident was described in a social media post by George Aviation later on Saturday. They reported that the aircraft appeared to have experienced a flap deployment issue and that emergency services were on standby for the landing. The aircraft landed without incident and taxied under its own power.
George Herald is following up with Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) for further details on the incident.
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